Young Hearts and Transplanted Hearts
by Crazy Dewfus
Summary: A young top surgeon of a Canterlot hospital, Heartstopper, lives a content life. Slipping down to the ER once in awhile, the place much more exciting, as well as containing a love interest. Saving lives with ease. But life has a way of kicking you in the snatch. (Prequal to Mind-Full) (Slice of Life)
1. Chapter 1: Hearts And Hearts

Machines hum in the background, an air pump pumping at a steady rate. Stainless steel equipment organized around the room. In the middle, some unlucky pony with their chest cavity opened. Two mares standing over the body, their faces showing the pure concentration flowing through them, despite their face masks. The mare who seemed to be doing most of the work was an attention grabber, a teal colored unicorn with a red, blue, and silver mane that was messy despite the care taken to keep it neat and nonobstructing. Her tail was nicely kept though (One could assume hair products were used). Her cutiemark was sort of unusual: A cartoon pink

heart with red and blue blood vessels branching out forming a bigger heart. She was absorbed in the operation, moving swiftly and professionally.

The assistant next to her seemed to disregard personal space, handing the teal mare whatever tool or supply she requested. She appeared to be covered in foliage due to her greencolor. Her mane and tail a simple burnt orange, mane kept under a hairnet. For some reason, her wings were also covered with a hairnet. Her cutiemark, oddly enough, was an infamous plant with its stem hollow.

The first mare took a good look at the open chest, deciding the best course of action. It was a routine transplant, congenital heart patient was just another number to most, but to the head surgeon, was another life to save. "Spreader."

The Assistant eagerly passed her a device which could be comparable to a vicegrip, but the ends on the outside and it being squeaky clean. It allowed much better leverage and locked with enormous reliability. The Surgeon positioned the ends of the tool between the patient's ribs, and turning the crank, a disturbing sound echoing through the room as the ribs spread. "This heart definitely isn't a keeper. Alright, forceps."

Her assistant looked at the still heart for a moment before choosing the correct forceps. The surgeon clamped the aorta as well as any other vessels connected to the diseased organ. The sickly heart looked much more orange than a normal one, which has 0 orange content. It simply laid there, close to dying. "Scapel."

The red mare passed her a scalpel specifically made for blood vessels. The blade was more horizontal than the standard model. The Surgeon made incisions along the vessels, careful to make clean cuts as the detached the heart from the rest of the patient's body, setting in the pan. "New heart."

The red mare lifted the cooler in which the heart resided and held it next to the surgeon as she gingerly opened the container and lifted and inspected the heart. It seemed to have survived the trip,so she carefully placed it in the chest cavity. "Suturing needle, and nylon thread."

The Assistant lifted a tray with all of these things up to the surgeon's reach, this time holding it there. The Surgeon grabbed the needle and thread, threading the needle expertly and proceeding to match up the correct blood vessels with their counterparts on the healthy heart.

She sutured the vessels together with quick, professional ease. The new heart started beating, and the bypass machine was removed. The Surgeon then sewn up the body, a process that itself took a good amount of time. After that, with a sigh of relief, deemed the surgery a success.


	2. Chapter 2: Patient Chemistry

*Ding…..Ding…...Ding….* The elevator lowered, floor by floor, and stopped at the bottom: The ER. What was unusual, though, was the passenger. One would figure that The Surgeon would stay on her floor, waiting to operate or complete paperwork. but she exited the elevator with a smile, as the Emergency Room was always busy and interesting. She could also meet potential patients well before the operation. However, there was another reason for The Surgeon to be in such an odd area, the reason swimming through her mind as she approached the desk.

The receptionist. looked up from his computer, instantly recognising The Surgeon. "Good noon, Doctor Heartstopper." Heartstopper turned to him with a smile. "You are the only pony that says 'Good noon'. Why in Equestria do you say such a silly phrase?" The question was presented in a friendly way, but she wanted a serious answer. The Receptionist gestured to the clock. "Its not morning, and its not quite afternoon. but, it IS noon."

Heartstopper smirked, the answer both silly and logical. "Well, I gotta admit, it makes sense. Anything interesting happen today?" The Secretary checked his PC, which didn't display the usual long list of patients. On a busy day, the ER would almost be so noisy that nopony could hear from across the room. Almost. "Oh, just one stallion that collapsed while working at a chariot wash. Hes being taken for an MRI soon."

So Heartstopper slipped off to see this mysterious pony. Sure enough, the buck was laying in his bed, with oxygen going through a hose, going over his ears to his snout. She took a decent look at him, and came to the conclusion that he looked to be about fifty. He looked half asleep, but shifted once she entered the room. "Hello there, what're you in for?" She couldn't help but chuckle at her own joke.

He looked at her for a few seconds before speaking. "I passed out at work and a co-worker called an ambulance." He laid his head back down, really not in the mood to talk to anypony. But, being the friendly mare she was, Heartstopper pressed on. "Ok, are your family or friends coming to check on you? Just passing out is serious."

This evoked a reaction from the buck. "Listen, I don't want anyone, not family or friends knowing about this, ok? Are who are you even?" Heartstopper didn't know how to react to such an outburst. After blinking a few times, she decided to answer his question. "My name is Doctor Heartstopper. I'm one of the hospital's top surgeons, specializing in the pulmonary system." He raised an eyebrow at this, thinking a second before asking a follow-up question, turning his head slightly as he did so. "If you are a surgeon, then why are you in the ER?" She didn't have a reaction for this either, not used to being questioned by a patient. He went on. "Yes, I saw you out there, asking around like a doctor who worked in the ER. What were you doing?"

"Well.." She sighed. "It's more interesting down here, I get to talk and mingle with my friends, and I'm not standing over an open body cavity." He nodded, understanding. But Heartstopper decided to question him. "What is YOUR name, Mr….?" He stared directly at her.

"This is none of your business, as you are not where you are supposed to be. What ever happened to professionalism?" She felt rather insulted at this. What right did he have to talk to her like this? She might end up saving his life. She is a respected member of the staff, with multiple degrees up in her office. Her thoughts were interrupted by a pegasus mare walking in through the door.

"The MRI is ready, Mr. Heisenberg." And with that simple statement, unlocked the bed wheels one by one, wheeling him off as he subtly groaned for some reason. The oxygen tank turned out to be attached to the bed, and so went with him. Heartstopper sighed and slowly walked back to the reception counter.

"So um, is Red Cross somewhere around here?" The Receptionist looked up at her and scratched his chin. "I think he's at a meeting, why do you ask?" She scraped her hoof on the ground. "Nothing, but please tell him I said hi." And with that, she trotted back to the elevator.

After that, a green earth pony mare went up to The Receptionist. "When do you think she'll realize?" He looked up from playing Solitaire. "Love is blind, in more ways than one."


	3. Chapter 3: Untold Stories

Nightmare Night, what a fright. Give me something sweet to bite. Heartstopper would prefer to be out trick or treating, but ponies never stop getting hurt. She was called to the ER this time for a ruptured jugular, as most in the ER aren't used to blood squirting in their faces. The waiting room was full of foals with tummy aches and ones that had been the victims of harsh pranks.

After fixing up Bleedy McGee, she headed out to the waiting room, her face still covered with blood. It had become a tradition to count the number of foal patients after betting how many would show up. It was a consistent 13-15 every year, so staff split into three groups to bet. "Ten.. eleven.. twelve… The thirteens might be right this year." Heartstopper counted the foals while in full view of the ponies waiting. The foals didn't bat an eye at her, but the mothers knew that was real blood on her face.

Of course, it wouldn't be Nightmare Night without costumes. There were all kinds there, bee, ghost. One even dressed as a bomb. The staff had costumes as well, The Assistant's being a classic zombie, while Heartstopper painted veins on her body, which now complemented the blood from a gang war from which Bleedy came from. So when a stallion walked in with a hatchet in his head, no one batted an eye.

Foal after foal went through the ER, getting treatment for candy overdoses and sometimes rather horrible bruises. Then the hatchet pony was admitted. Needlepoint, the resident grumpy nurse, was the one who was assigned to him. Her bland grey body clashed with her sickly green mane and tail, kept just good enough for work. Of course, her mark was a single needle. "So, what ails ya?"

He simply looked at her, with a crooked smile. "I have a hatchet. In my head." He pointed to said tool, which appeared to be a cheap costume. "I'm telling you, this is a real hatchet!" Needlepoint, being the ass that she is, simply assumed the obvious. "Yeah yeah, get outta here before I call security."

While Needlepoint was trying to get the stallion out, the rest of the ER's attention was drawn to them. Especially Red Cross who was curious about the yelling. His white coat and short cut mane and tail was quite… stereotypical for a doctor. His horn marked his position as a high-tier doctor. HIS mark was, what else, a red cross. Heartstopper was staring from a distance, trying to determine whether this was in fact a prank. Though, as soon as the white stallion with a well kept mane and tail started to walk over to them, Heartstopper followed.

Red Cross looked over the patient, then reached for the axe. The Patient pulled away, so he pulled back. Heartstopper grabbed it with her magic, and he screamed in pain as the hatchet proved stuck. All three staff members looked at each other in shock, as the hatchet was not a prop. To calm everyone, Heartstopper tried humor. "So I have to axe you, how did this happen?" Needlepoint facehoofed at the overused joke, but Red Cross chuckled slightly. The Patient stared at them with a "Wft aren't you taking this serious" look.

After the stupid joke wore off, Red Cross decided an X-Ray was the best next step. "I think an X-Ray is the best next step. Needlepoint, please fetch a jig to hold this tool in place." As Needlepoint left, Heartstopper decided to take a closer look, but as she did, The Patient got a closer look as well. He couldn't help but notice something that seemed strange to him. "Hey… you're a surgeon. What're you doing here?"

Heartstopper thought up a snappy answer to a commonly asked question. "I'm casing for victims, and it looks like you're headed my way." She simply refused to clean off the blood, as it was a perfect addition to her costume and she didn't want to wash it off. It was also hard to notice, with the body paint matting in practically the same way. The Patient shifted away from her, almost bumping the axe. Needlepoint returned with some medical tape, which Red Cross grabbed with his magic. "Okay, we're just gonna wrap this up and get you to the X-Ray, alright?"

The Patient nodded, then cringed as the tape was wrapped around his head and the axe, holding it in place. Red Cross used a large amount of tape, making sure that it wouldn't move. "Alright, Heartstopper. Get the X-Ray warmed up and ready." She blushed and did so, hesitantly moving out of the room. After taking her mind off of him, she wondered if The Patient's brain was damaged.

As he was wheeled off, Heartstopper got bored, and so her attention drifted towards the decorations. They were well done, thats for sure. Never too many in one place, so they just felt… good all around. The tape used to hold them up wasn't to be seen, but it didn't look like they were going to fall. While she was thinking, Red Cross walked up next to her, observing where she was looking.

"Hey, I can bet you Needlepoint didn't put these up."

The mare jumped at his voice, before clutching her chest. "Sorry, you surprised me"

He chuckled, resuming looking around with her. He seemed to be deep in thought, as his eyes drifted into space. Heartstopper watched with curiosity. And did she just move closer? "Whatcha thinking about?"

He sighed, and turned to make eye contact with her. "Its holidays." She cocked her head.

"Holidays?"

"Yes, they used to be a time when me and my distant cousin would meet. Thank was before…"

"Before what?"

"He got this job at a research facility. After that, he kinda stopped existing." Red Cross stared at the floor his eyes still distant. "Now I wonder if hes still alive."

The surgeon looked at him with concern, worried about this disappearance, simply because it worried Red Cross. "Do you remember what he looks like?"

He pulled out his wallet using his red magic, removing a worn photo from its depths. It depicted Red Cross standing next to a almost identical stallion. However, the other stallion was wearing a monocle and his cutiemark included a bonesaw with his own red cross.

Red Cross sighed as he stared at the picture. "His name is Fritz. He grew up in a different part of the world, and we met at a reunion. Not much of my family attended, but he did. Before he disappeared, he was a college teacher. I remember this one story about him and a hermaphrodite.. that was right before he left."

Heartstopper, intently listening, idly scraped her hoof on the ground. "Do you know where he went?"

He sighed yet again. "I don't remember the name of the place, just that it started with an A. I better get back to my work, plenty of stomach aches to diagnose!" And with that, he left to attend to his next patient. Heartstopper just stood there for a bit, watching him work. It was getting late, though, so she headed back to her office to get ready to go home.

Shortly after, the news was in. Heartstopper was unwinding in her office, getting her things packed up and ready to go. The clock struck 1 AM, almost time for her to go home. The Assistant trotted in, bearing a few papers in her wings. "Ms. Heartstopper, it turns out the stallion with the knife in his head did not suffer brain damage." She smiled and just stood there, staring at the surgeon. Heartstopper stared back, thought for a different reason. "So they just.. yanked it out?"

"Oh no." said The Assistant. "You aren't the only surgeon in this hospital."

Heartstopper scratched her chin, trying to remember other surgeons. Remembering none, she simply shrugged. "Thank you, Ivy… you can go now." She continued to stand there for a moment before backing out the door, never breaking eye contact. 'Strange', the young surgeon thought before packing up, blood still on her face.


	4. Chapter 4: Problem Causing Patient

The office floor, perhaps the most boring part of the hospital. Of all of the sections of the Hospital, this is the worst place for the most upbeat. The halls were quiet and if one listens closely enough, the clicking of computer keys could be heard. Everyone that worked at the Hospital had their own office. Hell, even Needlepoint did, who was an ER nurse. Mostly paperwork, legal matters, and meetings were done here. Most spent their free time either here, or in the staff lounge. However, an additional set of typing noises were heard today.

"Ugh, I can prevent death but not paperwork. I hate this shit…" *She continued to stare at the screen, typing out a long document, in a very formal font. Normally, there is not much paperwork after an operation. This time, the kidney was rejected. While this was clearly not Heartstopper's fault, nonetheless she had to fill out paperwork, as did everyone else who treated the patient.

The calm was broke when a light footed pony entered the room. She had multiple bruises on her face, and appeared to be walking funny. "Heartstopper, you're needed in the ER! Theres a patient thats wrecking the place!" Then she ran towards the elevator, holding it for the surgeon.

Heartstopper raised an eyebrow as what she just heard. 'Drunks are normally very easy to control… so why am I needed? Ah screw it. I need an excuse to not do paperwork.' So she calmly walked out of her office, casually closing and locking the door. Her hooves clopped quietly as she headed towards the elevator, Ivy waiting inside.

As the elevator reached the 2nd floor (1 floor above the ER) loud crashing noises could be heard, along with the occasional scream. Ivy his behind Heartstopper as the door opened, the ER looking like a disaster zone. '...At least there seems to be no spilled fluids.' the teal pony thought. Medical equipment was sprawled all over, the walls bearing marks. Even the beds were moved somewhat. In the middle of the room, a very buff stallion… well his ankles were tiny and the rest of his muscles buff. He was a completely white… pegasus? It was hard to tell due to his tiny tiny wings. His mark somewhat explained why he was tied to a gurney but still flinging doctors and machines around: A dumbbell. The various staff were standing back in fear, while Red Cross was trying to keep a royal guard from opening fire.

Ivy pushed Heartstopper out of the elevator, the latter trying her hardest to resist. After she was out, the teal unicorn ducked behind cover, Ivy following. The surgeon peeked over the tipped table, and managed to duck just as a jar of something was hurled at her. 'Okok, think fast… gotta calm him..' Both ponies were thrown back due to a flying monitor, the glass shattering all over them. Luckily, they were unharmed.

After regaining their mobility, they scampered behind the front desk, where The Receptionist was also hiding. Red Cross was hiding behind a curtain, his right eye brutally beaten. The enraged stallion (who was still strapped to the gurney) was still trying to fight his way out of the hospital. Red Cross gestured to a cart, which had different medications locked inside it.

Heartstopper bolted towards the cabinet, her rear getting slapped hard which sent her flying. She got to the cart, but unfortunately gained the attention of the buff brawler. who started barreling towards her. The doctor had to think quick, but that turned out as ducking. That seemed to work, as the muscular pony slammed into it sending medication, syringes, and other medical supplies flying.

Meanwhile, Heartstopper was still running for her life, the shiny, waxed floor not providing much help. She tried running for the door, but found that blocked off. Next she tried for the elevator, but the stallion stepped on her coat, holding her in place. She struggled to no avail, and was surely done for. Just as she was about to become the pancake, Ivy ran at the huge pony and injected him with some drug. The prick caused just enough distraction, Heartstopper pulling out from under his hoof, hiding back behind the desk.

The injection pissed him off to the point where he broke from his restraints, busting through the barricades and out into the street. The whole staff was in shock for a moment, before Red Cross started to analyze the situation. He peered at the vial of medication that Ivy had injected into the pony that just caused hundreds of thousands of bits worth of medical equipment. "Ivy, what did you inject him with?" She turned the vial so he could see. He mouthed the name to himself, and his pupils shrunk to almost pinpoints. "Grab the paramedic's first aid, that drug will cut off his breathing two minutes after injection!"

Red Cross grabbed the bag, and all of the medical staff present scrambled out of the building and down the street trying to catch the patient. They thought they would have trouble finding him, until The Receptionist spotted him running to a train station. He shouted at his co-workers, who rushed to his direction. They found him collapsed in the doorway of the train car, not breathing.

Red Cross opened the bag, its contents spilling on the ground. He reached for the breathing equipment, popping the mask on the patient. Ivy had gone back to fetch a stretcher, which they had to roll him onto due to his size, hurrying back to the hospital.

Meanwhile, the elevator lowered to the 1st floor, Needlepoint stepping out. She looked around with a little surprised, more concerned on who was cleaning up. Despite not being there during the brawl, she somehow knew what had happened. "PCP is a hell of a drug."


	5. Chapter 5: Hearts And Hooves and Hearts

(Chapter 1 has changed if you wanna go back and read it, its a good idea.)

What is love? Baby don't hurt me-ouch. The hospital wasn't nearly as busy, as loved ones tended to stay with each other this day of the year. All over the city love was in the air, or maybe that was something else…. either way, it smelled good. The ER was decorated with heart-themed decor, the pony who had put up the decorations last time must've been the one that put up these. The offices though, were the only place as bland as ever.

Keys clacked franticly in Heartstopper's office, the mare hastily finishing her work. Today was a very special day for her, though Hearts and Hooves day was a special day for many. But she had plans for today, which she held off for a very special time. "Paste my signature and control plus S and i'm done!" And with that, she sighed and shut down her computer.

As she walked out of the room, she retrieved a makeup kit from her pocket, opening it and checking to make sure her mane wasn't messed up. Closing and putting it away, she walked down the hall while paying attention to the name tags by the doors. She stopped at the one that said 'Doctor Red Cross'.

She took a deep breath and collected her thoughts before knocking on his door.

The smell of flowers filled the air, fitting due to the location being a flower shop. Colorful flowers lined the shelves, about half of them being red and pink roses. Heart shaped boxes of chocolates accompanied many of the bouquets, two fitting things to buy together. An off-white mare with a casual styled mane stood behind the counter completing crossword puzzles to pass the time.

The door opened, its bell signaling a customer with a _'ding ding'. _The mare behind the counter looked up from her puzzle with smile on her face. "Hello, may I help you miss?"

Ivy started looking around, examining the flowers to find the perfect bouquet. "I know what I'm doing, but thank you anyways." She took her time searching, the salesmare going back to her puzzles.

Ivy stopped searching for a moment, looking around. "Where are all of your customers? Its Hearts and Hooves day for petes sake!" The salesmare's ears perked at the question, but she did not take her mind off of her 'work'. "Rich ponies pick up flowers and chocolate a day early, so no last minute buyers."

She pondered this. "But I always buy them the same day because the flower shop keeps them pristine until they're bought." Salesmare looked up at her this time, replying sarcastically "Well, isn't that thoughtful."

Ivy had picked up a bouquet, inspecting it before holding it in her mouth and grabbing a box of chocolates and walking over to the counter. As she placed both items on the counter, the Salesmare looked up and began ringing up the goods. "So, whos the lucky colt?"

Ivy reached into her bag, pulling out a few bits and spreading them onto the counter, counting to the correct prices of the flowers and candy. "Well, she's a mare. And as for her name… *Squee*." The giddy pony stuffed the goods into her bag, and galloped out of the shop.

"So you want to go out to eat? I'm in." Red Cross smiled at Heartstopper after she had asked him about a lunch at a nice diner. His office was sorta cluttered, papers piled in messy stacks. A stain on the carpet remained from a forgotten drink spilled long ago. Heartstopper was sitting with a huge grin on the floor in front of him, a open door to the hall behind her.

Heartstopper squeed, her mind filled with wondrous, romantic thoughts. "Thats great! I hear there's a new restaurant opening up near town square, how about that?" Her grin somehow widened even more, as she waited for his response.

He shrugged. "Why not? Sure." As he started to trot out of the room, Heartstopper followed.

Later…

The town wasn't as busy as usual, ponies staying with loved ones on this special day. The diners and various other eateries were, however. No different was the diner that a teal mare and white stallion sat at outside, looking at their menus. After a moment, the tan unicorn waiter stepped out. "Are you two ready to order?"

The two closed up their menus, giving them to the waiter. "Yes, I would like that hay sandwich on rye with the fruit punch and my friend here would like…" Red Cross looked at Heartstopper, waiting for a response. She snapped out of her trance she was in from staring at him. "Oh, I'll have the same. Thank you." With that, the waiter went back into the diner.

Red Cross turned to Heartstopper, with a pleasant smile on his face. "Thank you for inviting me out to eat. It's a nice change from the usual staff lounge." He took a sip of his glass of water. Indeed it was, as the weather was perfect. The sun was shining, birds were tweeting.

She blushed. "Of course, a-anytime." She played with her silverware, thinking of a question to ask him. It was a lucky break for him to say yes, as all other times he politely refused. "When did you decide you wanted to be an ER doctor?"

He sighed and scratched his chin, deep in thought. "I was about 10 years old and my father, who was a doctor, wanted me to carry on the family legacy." He set the glass down neatly on the coaster. "However, I myself favoured excitement. I found out about the ER when I broke my leg a year later, and after little thought decided that it was the field for me."

The waiter returned soon after, carrying two sandwiches and two cups full of a light red liquid on a platter that needed to be cleaned soon. He set the plates in front of the two medical staff, a satisfying noise made as each plate touched the table. The sandwiches were made with good quality bread, tomatoes, lettuce, and… hay. Red Cross examined his meal briefly, before thanking the waiter who promptly went back into the restaurant.

The two hungry ponies began to eat their meals rather daintily, a few straws falling out of the sandwiches onto their respective plates. After a few bites, Heartstopper decided to go on with the conversation. "So, what kind of music do you like?"

Red Cross stopped chewing and raised an eyebrow, promptly swallowing his mouthful. "Is this.. supposed to be a date?" Heartstopper blushed again and diverted her eyes from her friend. "Y-Yes? I thought you knew." He facehoofed.

"Heartstopper, I'm gay."

The expression on her face was priceless. Her mouth scrunched up as her eyes stared into nothingness, pupils shrunk to pinpoints. One could interpret her as devastated, heartbroken, ruined. She tried to form words through the fuzziness that was her mind at the moment. "B-Bu-Bu-But…."

He internally cringed at the awkward moment. "I thought you knew I was…" Heartstopper just sat there, still unable to speak, so Red Cross stood up from his seat and started to walk away. "I'm going back to the hospital, I'll see you there later…"

The staff lounge was filled with Hearts and Hooves day decor. Banners hung from wall to wall, small figurines stood on table. The round center table was aged, but in no condition to be thrown out. The wall perpendicular to the entrance had the fridge, microwave, toaster and ever-filled coffee maker. A window was mounted opposite the entrance, cleaned to the point of the glass being almost clear.

At the table sat the lively green mare, clutching flowers and a box of chocolates, eager to confront her long-time crush. The door suddenly opened but her smile quickly deflated as the lead ER doctor stepped in. "Oh, hey Ivy. Waiting for that special somepony?" She nodded. "Hope they feel the same way. Can't be worse than what happened to me." He looked at his watch, his eyes widening in shock. "Gotta get some urgent paperwork done. Hope it works out for you two." And with that, he dashed out of the room.

The wall clock seemed to tick infinitely as she waited for the one she loves. After a while, Heartstopper slowly walked through the door, a sad look on her face. She sat at the table, slamming her head onto the table. Her mane was disheveled, and now dried tears had made her makeup run.

Ivy scooted closer, moving the roses and chocolates with her. She hesitantly put her left hoof on the depressed mare's shoulder. "Shh shh, it's ok. Tell me what happened." Heartstopper lifted her head up and slowly turned toward Ivy. "I-I wanted t-to be w-with Red Cross…." "Go on…" B-But he's GAY!"

Ivy pulled her into a tight hug, which she returned immediately. Right after the hug, Ivy discreetly pushed the gifts in front of the sad mare, who looked up at them and gave a little smile. "Are these for me?" Ivy nodded, and sneakily leaned in for a kiss but was interrupted.

"You're the bestest friend I could have, Ivy"

She froze, making a scrunchie face and tried to hold back tears as she felt her heart break. Heartstopper gave a friendly nuzzle to the catatonic pony. It was a friendly touch, not the slightest bit intimate. She backed off from her nuzzle, not sure what to do about her friendzoned friend. Ivy did not react and just stared off into nothingness.

Heartstopper levitated the roses and candy as she slowly got up from the seat. "Um well… I have to get back to my shift. Cancer Removal. You should too, considering that you're my assistant…" She slowly backed out of the room, shut the door, and then started down the hall. She hesitated for a moment, though, and thought she heard a soft crying noise from the lounge, but continued to the operating room.

(Sorry it took awhile to get this one out, had so many ideas. Please give a review of whatever, it helps.)


	6. Chapter 6: Plaque In The Day

Heartstopper sat in her office chair, digging through her file cabinet. Her office looked much cleaner than before, and it seemed the only thing that hadn't been cleaned was her desk. After some digging, she stopped, pulling a framed picture out of the cabinet. She looked at it and sighed. 

The picture showed two mares, Heartstopper and a blue pony with a line of white through her mane. They wore graduation caps, gowns, and big smiles on their faces. The pic was taken in front of a flower garden and the daisies seem to be as happy as the ponies, who were sitting up and hugging each other. Heartstopper seemed a few years younger and more optimistic.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, smiling at the photo. "I remember college. Deadlines were the real enemy. Colgate was a lifesaver, though. Wonder how shes doing…" After setting the picture down, Heartstopper picked of the phone with her magic and slowly dialed a phone number, scratching her chin as she tried to remember the number. A moment after she finished dialing, a pony at the other end picked up.

"Dr. Colgate's Dentistry, Colgate speaking."

Heartstopper smiled. "Hello! Remember me? Heartstopper?"

"Oh my stars, I can't believe it! Hearts, is it really you?"

"Yes! It's been so long. How have you been?"

"Fine. In a town with so many pastries, it's hard to find a break. You?"

"Good as well. The death rate has reached about zero, so I guess I feel really good about myself. And I have to give my assistant some credit, too."

"I'm taking a short vacation soon, wanna meet up at a cafe near my house tomorrow?"

"Sounds good!" The doctor hung up, clapping her hooves together. "Oooh this'll be fun!" Just as she was celebrating, the door silently opened and the neon green mare slowly walked into the room. She cocked her head at her friend. "What happened? You look like you just won a million bits." Ivy noted, though, that Heartstopper's office was really organized, compared to the usual mess. The room was usually messy and neglected.

Heartstopper turned to Ivy with a smile still on her face. "Oh nothing, just that I'm going to see an old friend that practically enabled me to graduate college!" She clapped her hooves again with glee, then stopped as she noticed Ivy calmly watching her. "Hey, would you like to meet her?"

Ivy smiled shyly. "Sure, I-I'd love to."

The Friendship Express slowed and stopped at Ponyville's station with a hiss, various ponies exiting the car. The station was decently full, most ponies waiting for friends or family. Heartstopper and Ivy looked around for a certain blue and white pony, who was nowhere to be seen. Heartstopper tried to peer into the crowd, but still… "Nothing. I wonder where she is… It isn't like her to be la-"

Alarmed pony noises came from the direction of the station building as the crowd parted. Colgate appeared through the gap in the huge crowd of ponies as they hurried to get out of her way. "Oh my god! Heartstopper I haven't seen you in years!" The two squealed and hugged like teenage girls, jumping up and down immaturely. Ivy stood beside them awkwardly, trying her best to make a not-creepy smile.

After the two celebrated for a few moments more, Colgate directed Heartstopper and Ivy halfway across town to a cafe. The restaurant had a vegetarian theme, much of it green, orange, and other vegetable color. A few tables with umbrellas sat outside, nice and shady. The three took their seats outside, settling into the wicker chairs.

Heartstopper adjusted her mane from the immature embrace, fixing it to the best of her ability. "How are you, it's been so long." Ivy sat with them in silence, feeling like the third wheel. Depending on how this night would go, she just might be. Colgate sat up squeed, over excited compared to the other two. "I'm doing fine! Seems to be more cavities here in Ponyville than any other town, though."

The surgeon chuckled. "Alot of coronary heart disease patients come from Ponyville, wonder if they're connected... Anywho, what'd I miss after graduation? I was kinda dragged to Canterlot after their hospital took a look at my resume."

"I don't think too many notable things happened. I set up a business here, and there was no shortage of patients. Most seem to have an aversion to brushing. "The toothpaste colored pony slouched in her chair. "I don't think they take to heart the fact that the same plaque on your teeth is the same that you get heart disease from."

Both mares chuckled for a moment, then Heartstopper narrowed her eyes. "So if your patients listened to instructions, not as many would have to be operated on?" Colgate then narrowed her own eyes. "Whatcha sayin?" "I'm saying that it's your fault that so many need operations." "Oh, really?" "Really."

The two started to yell at each other, almost climbing up onto the table to get into each others face. Heartstopper bared her teeth, standing an inch taller than Colgate. "Yeah. You don't make your patients follow your fucking instructions!" "Well, they don't give a shit knowing they can just get a transplant!" "You're seriously going to pin this on me? Fucking really?" The two yelling were definitely turning heads, and Ivy just sat there, watching them argue, too afraid to say or do anything. "Yeah, and you know I'm right!"

Heartstopper sat back in her chair, an evil smile on her face. "I was always the rational one. You needed help for the finals from the ground up. I have no idea how you actually got a job. Can't tell when you lost." Colgate threw herself across the table, tackling Heartstopper to the ground. Her hooves went right to her neck, attempting to choke the doctor. "That. Is. A. Secret!"

Right before an intense brawl could break out, the two turned their heads toward a very pink, very jolly mare. She had a cake on her back, and it was impossible to not recognise her. Pinkie Pie. She waved to the ponies on the ground, who sat up on the remains of the wicker chair.

Their angry faces turned to grumpy ones as Colgate turned to her friend. "I hate her." "I do too…" "It's all her fault." "She stuffs everypony with sweets and fats." "And doesn't care about their health." "And everypony is drawn to her." "She makes them ignore my instructions" "And their hearts suffer."

Heartstopper stood up, shattering a tea cup with her head which is now soaked with the beverage. "Ow… What the hell…" She looked up, and saw Ivy sheepishly standing over her with a plate with 3-1 teacups. "I was just um.. getting the drinks and.." She froze, setting the platter on the table.

The three climbed back into their seats, coats not as clean as before. After Colgate removed a small twig lodged into her mane, she spoke. "So, speaking of hearts, how has your love life been?" Heartstopper scratched her chin for a moment. "Well, I asked this one stallion out to lunch. He was a pretty good catch, but he.. is gay." The dentist chuckled. "You may have been the Queen of Hearts, but you're walking stallion repellant. Remember that one you asked out from college?"

\- - - - - - - - - - 4 Years Ago. - - - - - - - - - -

Mostly silence filled the room, students focused on the white unicorn stallion with a red mane and tail using a pointer to draw attention to various medical diagrams on a chalkboard. The stallion wore a monocle and his body was starting to show his age. He spoke with a heavy german accent, but his words were equestrian. At the top of the board amongst the various drawings of cells were the words 'Medical Engineering'.

One of the students sitting in the front row seemed to be rather bored. He raised his hand and without being called on spoke."Hey, I thought this was supposed to be medical engineering class, not high school biology. Wheres the machine blueprints and stuff?"

The professor stopped mid-sentence, slowly turning to the young stallion with a glare that could kill a foal. "Zhis class iz indeed medical engineering. Ve must brush up on ze structure of zells to understand zheir interaction vith ze equipment. Because of ze interruption, your final test score iz lowered by two letters automatically. Any ozzer comments?".

The student shut up, sitting so still as to make sure he didn't anger the professor. Further back, a young Colgate and young Heartstopper sat next to each other. After the break in the instinctual hypnosis of the speaking teacher, Heartstopper leaned in closer to her friend. "I thought that there'd be more talk of organs and machines and things like that. Well.. organs are machines so.." Colgate cut her off with a hoof to her lips. "Pay attention to the professor. And I well, have a surprise for you after class." After that, they both paid attention to Professor Fritz's lecture about how red blood cells conflict with standard fluid pumps and the like.

Hours later, Colgate was hiding in a bush across the road from a diner. It was nothing special, could be compared to a 50s diner in style. A single pegasus stallion sat outside, His blue coat looking almost edgy against his black mohawk. He looked around him often, as if looking for someone. Colgate was too, and after a little while longer the pony she was waiting for walked up to the bush, unaware of it's contents.

Heartstopper stood near the bush, not really sure what to do. She yelped in surprise as she was pulled into the shrubbery. She struggled for a moment, even more so as a hoof covered her snout. "Heartstopper, shh. Calm down." And she calmed, Colgate holding her close, pointing over to the pony at the cafe. "There's your surprise." Heartstopper looked him over from a distance, then turned unsure to Colgate. "You set up a blind date? I don't know what to say.."

Colgate slowly moved behind her friend, parting the now sad looking bush's leaves. "So go.. get him!" she said as she threw Heartstopper out of the bush. She barely managed to land on her hooves, standing awkwardly in the middle of the street. This got the attention of the stallion already sitting at the table. He gave a small smile, waving sheepishly at her. "Are you my date?" he asked nervously, knowing that if she wasn't this would be very uncomfortable. She nodded, and slowly walked to the table, sitting down at it. "Yes, I'm Heartstopper. You are…?"

He perked up a little, looking over at the more confident mare. "You can call me Skyrise because thats my name. Heh heh... heh… So, you're in Professor Fritz's class, right?" She nodded. "I'm near the cafeteria, neurology wing. Heh, wing." She smiled softly, and he felt a little more confident. "So, you're studying medical engineering, right?" She nodded again, but spoke this time. "I'm aiming for heart surgeon, but he said I have to understand machines for that. Dunno why."

Skyrise sat back in his chair, raising an eyebrow. "You don't. Medical engineering is like, prosthetics and the actual EKG and the like. I think Fritz is just trying to get more in his class, seems like more and more are interested in the actual body." Heartstopper looked absolutely shocked at this. "You're kidding me, right? I'm taking this for nothing?" He looked softly into her eyes. "Not nothing. Getting two degrees is better than one, right? Besides, the body is like a machine itself. Did you learn anything about actual heart surgery yet?"

Oh, she perked up at this. "Oo yes! I know tons of stuff about the heart. Did you know that if the aorta is punctured right above the heart, blood can squirt out six feet?" Her face had a look of absolute glee to a creepy level. "And that it can survive outside of the body so long as it has oxygen. Which gave me the idea of-" He put a hoof to her lips and stood up. "Listen, this might've been a bad idea after all. You're kinda.. creepy.." He walked off, leaving Heartstopper stunned. Across the street, the bush shook with a steady rhythm as Colgate bashed her head against it in frustration.

\- - - - - - - - - - Present - - - - - - - - - - -

Heartstopper rubbed her chin, trying to remember the rest of the memory. "Hmm.. I guess I am." Ivy sat down her cup of tea, hesitating to speak for a moment before almost whispering "Shes not too creepy for me.." Colgate raised an eyebrow at Ivy before checking her watch, a stunned look on her face. "Oh my god, I have to get back to work. It's been nice Queeny, good luck with that love thing. We'll catch up again!."

Heartstopper turned to Ivy. "She was my best friend for many years. I got you now, my neon assistant." She pulled Ivy close and gave her a noogie. She resisted at first, then accepted her fate. "Wait, you really don't think I'm creepy?" Ivy nodded. "Aww, you really are my super special friend!" The friendzoned mare frowned unnoticed.


	7. Chapter 7: Foalish Choices

Everyone in the ER has a distinct personality. Some have more compassion than others. Some don't have compassion. Some have it sometimes. ER room 3 was calm as Needlepoint was taking the vitals of a mare that reported belly aches. Her expressionless face was unsettling, though.

"Vitals are fine.I'll notify the doctor." Her voice showed no compassion, as bland as the most depressed creature imaginable. The patient looked unsettled, not feeling confident in the presence of this nurse. Needlepoint opened a cabinet, retrieving a small needle attached to a small tube. The patient looked nervous as she approached her side, withdrawing her foreleg.

Needlepoint sighed in frustration. "Give me your leg. I need to put a I-V in it." The patient did as she asked; and with surprising skill and speed had stuck the I-V in her vein. A simple poke and pull and she was done. Needlepoint cleaned up as quickly as she could, walking over to The Receptionist's desk. "Tell the doc his patient is ready; I'm taking a break."

As she quickly walked away, The Receptionist yelled; "It's your third today, Needlepoint!" he got no response.

Calm; not a good description to describe an ER. "Help help! my baby is hurt! Doctor!" Those were the words. Red Cross hurried over to the direction of the scream. After almost knocking over a computer cart, he spotted the victim. A foal holding onto a frantic mother's back. The foal's injury more pronounced due to her yellow fur. Her wing was bleeding as well as her side, wing hanging limply. The pony carrying her was a bright, cheery blue; quite opposite to her mood.

As Red Cross met up with her, the mother placed the foal on his back; after a moment of stumbling, he ran off to an ER room. The mother followed, her mane a mess and a worried look on her face. She was doing her best to calm the filly, who seemed to be just sad. The foal cringed whenever her wing was moved, but otherwise, seemed to be almost content with the situation.

Heartstopper walked up to the counter, leaning against it. Her gaze was directed to the foal's room, while her gave was of worry and suspicion. "Isn't it the third time this week that the foal was admitted? Suspicion of illness, illness, now injury. Doesn't it raise any eyebrows?" The Receptionist looked up from an intense game of Solitaire. "Nah, just an overprotective mother with an unlucky foal." They pondered this while Red Cross dressed the filly's wounds and her mother insisted she be admitted to the hospital.

Hallways quiet, hours late. The only sound was subtle beeping from various heart monitors, almost in sync. The smell of alcohol wafted throughout the floor, signs that hygiene was high priority. One room sheltered a pegasus foal and her mother, both sleeping soundly in the midst of the late night. Outside the room, two ponies peered inside the small window, their faces of worry. Red Cross and Ivy exchanged glances, then continued to look at the mother and child sleeping in the room.

Ivy turned from the room to Red Cross. "There's just something that worries me about all of this. Have we heard anything from the filly? I don't recall her ever talking." Red Cross, listening intently, scratched his chin. "Yeah, but how… we questioned her multiple times. Both mother and foal. Dandelion didn't really speak, though." "Wait,I have an idea."

Needlepoint stared intently at the clock, following each tick with her eyes. Almost time to clock out. The sound of the clock echoed throughout the lounge, overshadowing any other quiet sound. Her things were all gathered in her saddlebags, filling them halfway. She stood close to the clock, leaning forward so her face was almost a foot away, watching very intently. Even the opening door couldn't break her concentration.

Needlepoint jumped as the mare behind her tapped her shoulder, her green coat a deep contrast compared to the wall clock she's been staring at for the last fifteen minutes. "Needlepoint, you're needed on the fifth floor. The foal needs checked on" The grey mare did her best death stare, but nonetheless Ivy kept persistent. "Go ahead, no need to waste time…. al..right?"

Needlepoint growled. Yes, growled. "I'm clocking out in ten minutes. I am going home in twelve. You cannot, I repeat, cannot stop me." Ivy stared. And stared. After a soul-wrenching stare-off, Needlepoint sighed. "Fine. I better get double overtime pay for this." She headed where Ivy was pointing, and entered the elevator, denting the elevator wall with her hoof in the process.

_*Tick tick tock* _The clock on the wall ticked to 8 am. Both mother and foal woke up at the same time, their internal clocks calibrated to a schedule over years. The mother got up and went over to Dandelion, stroking her mane. "Mommy is going to get us some breakfast, ok?" Dandelion nodded. The mother hurried out, not noticing the grey mare hiding behind the door, who casually walked into the room carrying clean linen and IV bags. She set the linen on the bed, and reached for the baggy of medication when the little yellow pony mumbled something. "M-Mommy hurt me.." Needlepoint sighed. Dandelion went on. "E-Every time m-mommy hurt me t-then brought me in.." This didn't change the nurse's motions, and after quickly refilling the medication and changing the bedsheets she too leaves, passing the mother who turned her head at the nurse leaving.

Needlepoint called the elevator and stared at the doors for a moment before they opened, Red Cross and Ivy inside waiting for her. "I just want to punch out. Get out of my fucking way." Ivy went up to her, standing between the elevator doors as they tried to close every 5 seconds, but stopped to prevent from squishing the green pony. "What did she said? Anything of use?" "Her mother hurt her each time and brought her in. Now, let me punch out." Needlepoint forcefully pushed Ivy back into the elevator with the brute strength of a pissed mare. Oh, wait… Red Cross leaned in closer to Ivy. "How…?" Ivy smiled. "Foals don't share secrets when a pony with a badge is staring at them with a notebook. Makes them nervous. But a nurse that doesn't look like she's listening is perfect to talk to." Red Cross nodded.

Within hours, a royal guard had come in and arrested the mother, which left the foal without a parent to look after her. The next morning while this problem was being solved, all of the staff looked at Needlepoint at once. "What? Do I have something on my face?" Ivy stepped up. "Needlepoint, since you are both a pegasus and the nurse that the foal told what was happening you could…" "Take care of her? For how long?" "...until she grows up?" "I guess one good thing came of this job." All of the staff cheered but the nurse who, for once while on the job, smiled."

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Weeks later- - - - - - - - - - - -

"Hows the little bundle of joy, Sharps?" Now that Needlepoint had seemed to loosen up, she had gained a nickname. "She fine. Settling in. She the sweetest thing too.. Why do you call me fucking Sharps?" The Receptionist chuckled. "Because you're aged, still dangerous, a vital part of the ER.. I can't really think of many positive ways to describe a used needle. Give me a break, it's cute." He got the most stern, deadly look followed by a small smile. "I still don't care for this job much."

(This chapter took so long because I usually wrote them in school, but I graduated. This story isn't supposed to be action-y, it's a slice of life. And um.. sorry it isnt as long. Lost intrest for awhile.)


	8. Chapter 8: Shock Value

Everyday besides holidays and birthdays the hospital was decorated for the occasion. But today was nothing special, but spring cleaning. And so, to celebrate, the halls smelled of alcohol. The lounge was cleaned recently as well, the microwave spotless and the fridge not smelling like any food. Or it could be that everyone was just used to the collective smell of a thousand lunches. Either way, it seemed better.

But there was one thing that could not be cleaning in the room. On the carpet were tear stains, fresh and plentiful. The pony who shed them was gone, leaving them after a very emotional period of crying.

The hall was calm, which usually happened when somepony was being operated on. Normally upper class ponies didn't partake in activities that could result in injury. In the operating room, two mares were scrubbing their legs, preparing for an operation. The teal mare seemed to be casual about it, while the green one was frowning and didn't seem to be wary of her surroundings. The sink they were washing up at was a standard double sink for use in an operating room.

Heartstopper was the first in the actual room, the patient lying on the gurney with blue paper-cloth covering all but her chest. She took her position at the side of the pony, Ivy following after a moment. Heartstopper picked up a scalpel and prepared to make the first incision. "Its going to be a standard heart transplant. Get in, pull out, put in, sew up." They donned their masks and gloves and sliced through the skin…

\- - - - - - - - - - Later - - - - - - - - - -

Heartstopper looked over the old heart, still beating inside the patient's chest. It's yellow tone showed how abused it was, with a pony's diet being at least half sweets. Ivy was standing a couple feet away, staring at the floor. She lifted her head and turned to the unicorn.

"What.. do I do if the mare I love… doesn't love me back?"

The teal pony didn't look up, half-focused on her work. "Leave them be? Can't make them feel things. Now, give me the clamp." She did as she was asked, and held the clamp within her line of sight. She grasped it in her magic, pinching the aorta. "More clamps." Ivy put four clamps into a group, and help them in front of the surgeon, who held them all in her magic. One by one, each blood vessel was cut off from the now stopped heart.

Ivy stood in silence, her eyes away from the patient and surgeon. Her eyes seemed distant, not focused on anything in particular, not even the bypass machine which hummed and continually filled in for the patient's heart. Her own heart ached as she let the thoughts from days ago run through her head. 'Can she not see? Does she passively hate me now? I don't think she'll ever know how I feel. What if she gets upset? We'll never be able to look at each other the same way again… It'll be be all over..'

Off in the distance, she heard a odd but familiar noise. It repeated over and over, gaining in intensity. After about a minute, the noise became clear. "IVY! THE NEW HEART! NOW!" Her vision started to clear, and she was greeted by a very angry face staring into her soul. "Ivy? Are you awake? Take this. Ivy?" A feeling of dread rushed through her, and she realized that she was, in fact, supposed to be doing heart surgery.

"Ahh? Wha?." Ivy looked around franticly, spotting the new organ in the box on ice. She flipped open the container, the lid almost coming unhinged. The new heart looked so healthy, yet hungry for oxygen. She picked it up haphazardly, rushing it over to it's new home.

She rushed so much in fact, that she did not notice the heart that Heartstopper was holding out for her to take. As Ivy was handing the organ to the surgeon, it collided with the old heart, rolling off of the table and onto the floor, making a wet_ splat _on the ground. It all happened in slow motion, the moment the hearts contacted they were pushed apart. The one that wasn't being help by magic slipped out of practiced hooves, bouncing off of the table and rolling onto the floor; rolling out of sight. Both ponies started at the spot the heart landed at, but Heartstopper turned to Ivy with an annoyed, half-lidded stare.

"Pick. It. Up." Ivy stared at Heartstopper in complete horror, frozen where she stood. "Pick. Up. The heart." Ivy snapped out of her trance, darting to the floor searching frantically for the rouge organ. As she scrambled to locate it she bumped various machines, a teal glow stabilizing them before they fell. At last, she re-surfaced with the heart which had some dirt and hair on it. Heartstopper examined it, brushing it off with gauze and placing it in the patient while Ivy stared in disbelief. "D-Did you just place the heart that fell on the floor into the chest cavity?" "Yup." "But, what if this pony doesn't survive?" The teal surgeon turned slowly to Ivy, a sad look in her eyes. "I'll take the blame, I can't take the heckling." "But.." "It's what friends are for."

The rest of the surgery went smoothly, Heartstopper sutured the arteries and veins to the new organ, which started to beat on it's own. The ribs were let back into place and the chest cavity sewn up. Afterwards, both ponies went to wash up. "Heartstopper… there's something I've been meaning to t-tell you…" Heartstopper turned to her with a smile. "Yes?" Ivy took a deep breath. "I..I love you…" Heartstopper kept smiling. "I know you do. I feel the same way; you're like a sister to me." "Thats not what I meant.." By that time, the unicorn was gone.

Later in the break room, Heartstopper took a salad from the fridge and set it on the table, opening it and mixing in what appeared to be ranch dressing. She mixed it with skill, not one leaf falling out of the bowl. Ivy peeked into the room, cautiously entering after a minute. "Heartstopper… I-" The hospital filled with a horribly loud alarm at that instant, interrupting whatever Ivy had to say. Heartstopper jumped out of her seat, knowing full well what the alarm meant.

The noise of many doctors and nurses was almost deafening, all headed towards the post-op unit. A few voices amongst the chaos made it clear to anyone who wasn't staff what was happening. One mare's stood out amongst the others. "Code blue! Get the defib unit now!" It was clear one of the post operation patients was dying, and Heartstopper and Ivy jumped into the crowd once they figured out it was their patient.

Ponies surrounded the room, where Red Cross and some brown mare were trying to revive the coding pony. Red Cross put gel onto a pair of chest paddles, rubbing them together to evenly coat them while the mare was charging the defib unit. She nodded to Red Cross, who put the paddles onto the patient's chest and made sure they made contact. "Clear!" The patient's chest jumped, but they got no heartbeat. The mare charged the defib again, and Red Cross shocked the patient once again, but they didn't regain their heartbeat. After a few more tries, the patient was pronounced dead. "Time of death… eleven twenty two pm." The two surgeons looked on in horror, remembering the accident that they had made. Ivy froze, but Heartstopper had fled the hospital…


	9. Chapter 9: Farther Down The Line

A dark and breezy night in Manehattan wasn't the safest place for a young mare to be, unless she is running in the street without stopping to rest. Heartstopper ran and ran in the dark streets of the city until a piece of paper smacked her into the face, sending her into a wall. Stunned from the impact, she ripped the paper from her face and found the nearest street light. Looking at the paper, she saw in huge bold print 'WE WANT YOUR BODY!' She made a scrunchie face, thinking the paper looked like a sign-up sheet for hookers. That is, until she read the fine print which said 'For R&amp;D'. "I'll donate my dead body to science, that'll help me feel better."

Heartstopper waited that the Manehattan station for what the voice on the other end of the phone line called a black steam engine with the number 97 on the front. Arrival time was twelve o' five pm. So far, the one train that stopped was not the 97; it was the Friendship Express. She noticed something else, too. It seemed that many of the mares of the night have not read the fine print, and thought that this was a hooker recruiting paper. Her observations were interrupted by the approaching train. This was clearly not the Friendship Express, as it was much larger, black, and had the number 97 on the front. Intimidating enough for many ponies to flee.

The massive locomotive squealed to a halt, releasing hot steam from its undercarriage that could scorch anypony that was near. Each of the train cars pushed against the one before, settling collectively as they came to a stop. The door on the back of the lead car of three opened, a..bipedal robot stepping out wearing a conductor's outfit. Each of its moving parts were only connected by a joint, so if it's torso were to be looked at a certain angle, it would look like the robot had very thick ribs. "All aboard to Tombstone!"

Heartstopper looked at the ticket she received and confirmed the locomotive's appearance and it's destination. As she stood up to walk over to the train, she noticed the prostitutes stand up and start in that direction as well. She felt embarrassed standing in line to have her ticket checked and board the train with all of these mares. After the robot let her on, she found a window seat to sit at away from the prostitutes. Sighing, she rested her head on the window, not averting her stare from nothing in particular outside.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In The Engine - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Two engi-bots wearing coal-stained outfits sat by the controls playing rock-paper-scissors. While neither seemed to be winning, they simply played and played. The engineers were interrupted when the conductor robot opened the door and looked around at them. "You wankas are supposed to be runnin' this train."

They turned to each other and with a simultaneous "Alrighty" started the train moving, the metal machine giving a lurch before starting to speed up. Just as the conductor turned to leave, one of the engineers grabbed his arm. "Wait. The boss told me to play something so these ponies don't get bored." He reached into his hat and pulled out a cassette tape, which he handed to the conductor. The Conductor nodded, leaving the engine and entering the first car. He picked up a walkie-talkie on a cord and as the intercom crackled to life spoke through it. "Hope you enjoy the trip, it will be a long one. Enjoy this music during."

The speakers crackled to life once more, playing _'Queen of Hearts' _ as the train sped up, beginning it's long trip by starting down the mountain on which Canterlot was built. Each of the stations it passed by: Manehattan, Ponyville, Appleoosa, it sped full speed though. And each time ponies darted for cover, the earth shaking under their hooves.

After many hours, the train finally stopped at a ghost town. The platform was partially fixed up, the supports and floor replaced but the overhead roof clearly the original. As Heartstopper woke up, she noticed it was the dead of night. The groggy doctor walked out of the train car, looking around. To her right she saw nothing, and to her left in the not so distant distance was a railyard, with different kinds of trains for different purposes. The conductor nudged the group of ponies toward a large facility.

When they got inside, they found themselves in what appeared to be a hospital waiting room. Heartstopper took a seat, and started to nod off to sleep until she was handed a clipboard with many medical questions by another engineer bot. This one seemed to make fluid motions as it passed out each survey. It seemed that it was.. upset at the group. Which was understandable, considering that all but one were hookers. It came back laters and collected the clipboards, giving a disapproving look at each one. Heartstopper nodded off in her chair.

A long time passed before she was awaken by robotic voices arguing, followed by a different kind of robot pointing at her and telling her to follow it. The robot's legs didn't seem to match it's body, and it looked aged. She stood up, stretched, and walked over to the robot.

Little did she know, Heartstopper's life would never be the same again.

(Continued in _Mind-Full_)


End file.
